John Hinckley Released From Court Supervision Four Decades After Shooting Ronald Reagan
Four decades after he shot President Ronald Reagan, a judge in Washington D.C. has granted the unconditional release of John Hinckley Jr. from any and all court supervision.
John Hinckley Jr. shot and nearly killed President Reagan on March 30, 1981 outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. He suffered a punctured lung and severe internal bleeding and was very close to death, per CBS.
Three others were also wounded. Press Secretary James Brady was left partially paralyzed and required use of a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Brady died in August 2014 and the coroner ruled his death a homicide, caused by the gunshot wounds he’d received in 1981.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982 and lived in a psychiatric facility until 2016. Hinckley was released from the facility in 2016 to live with his elderly mother who has since died.
In September 2021, the court approved an agreement by prosecutors and Hinckley’s defense team that would allow his release Wednesday if he complied with certain conditions.
In a report released from the court last month, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia wrote that Hinckley does not present a danger to himself or others because of mental illness. He also has not exhibited any violent behavior or interest in weapons.
Photo Credit: Michael Evans/Wikimedia Commons: Chaos Outside the Washington Hilton Hotel
